An island country in the southwest Indian Ocean comprising the island of Mauritius and several small dependencies in the Mascarene Islands. Originally uninhabited, the islands were probably known to Arab and Malay traders in the Middle Ages. Mauritius was controlled by the Dutch (1598-1710), the French (1715-1810), and the British (after 1814) before independence was achieved in 1968. It became a republic in 1992. Port Louis is the capital and the largest city.